Bills owner Ralph Wilson’s affinity of football men of a certain age has its limits.
Tim Graham of ESPN reports that Marty Schottenheimer “badly” wanted the Bills coaching job, but Wilson was never on board.
Schottenheimer worked previously with G.M. Buddy Nix, and publicly soft-pedaled his interest in the gig. But his experience with Nix didn’t matter because Wilson “wasn’t comfortable” with Schottenheimer.
The news helps to explain why Marty’s son Brian turned down a chance to interview. But it’s unlikely to calm the anger of Bills fans or change the perception that Chan Gailey was a fallback choice.
Bills fans would probably prefer a coach with Schottenheimer’s track record if the team was looking for someone with head coaching experience.